Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (Whoosh): Project Profile

The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway is Indonesia’s first high-speed rail line and a landmark infrastructure project for Southeast Asia. Spanning 142.3 kilometers, it connects the nation’s capital, Jakarta, with the major city of Bandung, leveraging advanced CR400AF rolling stock and Chinese-developed signaling systems to achieve operational speeds of up to 350 km/h. This profile details the core technical specifications, financing structure, and strategic importance of this transformative project.

Technical Specifications

The railway’s infrastructure was engineered to handle Indonesia’s challenging topography, featuring 82.7 km of elevated structures and 13 tunnels totaling 16.6 km. The track system is a combination of ballasted (112.8 km) and ballastless slab track (166.6 km), designed for high-speed stability and reduced maintenance. The most notable engineering challenge was the 1,052-meter Tunnel 2, constructed through complex and unstable geological formations.

Propulsion and rolling stock consist of 11 CR400AF Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) produced by CRRC Qingdao Sifang. These units are a customized variant of the Fuxing Hao series, featuring aesthetics inspired by the local Komodo dragon. The train control system is the advanced CTSC-3 (China Train Control System Level 3), which operates over a GSM-R communication network. This system ensures safety through a combination of a Radio Block Center (RBC) for movement authority, track circuits for train detection, and Balises for precise positioning, enabling safe and efficient high-density operations.

Key Takeaways

• Technological Advancement: The project represents a significant technological leap for Indonesia, introducing a complete high-speed rail ecosystem, from advanced rolling stock and signaling to specialized construction techniques for challenging terrain.
• Economic Corridor Development: By reducing travel time between Jakarta and Bandung from over 3 hours to just 45 minutes, the railway acts as a catalyst for economic growth, stimulating tourism, real estate development, and business connectivity along the corridor.
• Strategic Infrastructure Precedent: As a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the region, its completion sets a critical precedent for future large-scale, internationally-funded infrastructure projects in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When did the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway open?

The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, officially named ‘Whoosh’, began commercial operations in October 2023. It has successfully reduced travel time between the two major Indonesian cities to approximately 45 minutes, including intermediate stops.

Who built the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway?

The railway was developed and is operated by PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC). This entity is a joint venture between a consortium of Indonesian State-Owned Enterprises, led by PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), and a consortium of Chinese railway companies, led by China Railway International Co. Ltd. The primary construction contractor was China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC).